What is a really good Thanksgiving apple pie recipe?
It’s that time of year again, apple season. Our trees are practically raining Granny Smiths. In anticipation of a long apple season we have begun to experiment with apple pies; this recipe is our current favorite. What makes it special are two things: 1) an all butter homemade crust with some ground up almonds (I used a blender to chop up blanched almonds) added to the flour, and 2) including a little brandy and vanilla to the filling, along with the traditional spices. The trick is when to pull the pie out. The cooking time will vary a bit, depending on the apples you are using. Granny Smiths cook up pretty quickly, Gravensteins, longer. So look for a nice browned crust and you should be able to look through the venting slits to see the filling bubbling. Homemade crusts can be a challenge if you aren’t used to making them. See the following recipes for more detailed instructions: Perfect Pie Crust and All Butter Crust with Almonds. Print Options Old Fashioned Apple Pie Recipe Print Op
The Best Thanksgiving Apple Pie Recipe Ever 5 Thanksgiving apple pie is a tradition in my house. The smell of baking apples with cinnamon and nutmeg fills the house, making everyone’s mouth water. Out of the array of pies that I bake on Thanksgiving: pumpkin pie, pecan pie, squash pie, custard pie, chocolate cream pie, and apple pie, the apple pie is always the first to disappear. The Thanksgiving apple pie recipe which follows is the same recipe that I have been using for the past 30 years. It is also the same recipe my mother and grandmother used before me. I would never bake a different apple pie. It wouldn’t be worth it to me to take a chance on a different recipe. The key to a delicious apple pie is the crust. If you have a flaky, moist, and lightly browned crust, you can’t go wrong with an apple pie. This particular apple pie recipe has a major ingredient in the crust that most people do not use anymore, yet this ingredient makes all the difference in the world. The ingredient is
This is a great recipe from the Food Network Kitchens but with a couple extra added ingredients (in bold) to make it really delicious.
For the Filling:
- 3 pounds Granny Smith Apples
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of ground cloves
- Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
For the Dough:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1/4 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
- 1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 large eggs
Directions:
- Peel, wedge and core the apples and toss with sugar and lemon juice in the bowl.
- Melt 4 tablespoons of butter. Add the apples and cook until the apples begin to soften (appx 8-9 minutes).
- Sprinkle flour, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg and toss for 1 minute. Remove from heat and cool.
- Make the dough – pulse flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor and add shortening until it disappears (appx. 30 seconds). Add butter and pulse until it looks pea sized. Beat 1 egg with 1/4 cup ice water and add to the food processor. Lay it out on 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Divide the dough in half and pat into disks. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Roll 1 disk into 12-inch round and fit along a pie tin.
- Add filling and heap it up. Dot with 2 tablespoons of butter. Chill the pie.
- Make a cool design for the top. You can either weave the crust, or use a cookie cutter and overlay the crust to cover the pie. Make sure to leave a vent and cut off the extra dough that hangs over the edges. Use a fork to press the edges down. Brush with an egg and sprinkle with sugar.
- Cook for 55 to 60 minutes. Let the pie cool for 2 hours until it sets.
